1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to spin valve sensors of magnetic heads, and more particularly to the use of one or more cobalt layers in antiparallel (AP) self-pinned layer structures of spin valve sensors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers often include auxiliary memory storage devices having media on which data can be written and from which data can be read for later use. A direct access storage device (disk drive) incorporating rotating magnetic disks are commonly used for storing data in magnetic form on the disk surfaces. Data is recorded on concentric, radially spaced tracks on the disk surfaces. Magnetic heads including read sensors are then used to red data from the tracks on the disk surfaces.
In high capacity disk drives, magnetoresistive read (MR) sensors, commonly referred to as MR heads, are the prevailing read sensors because of their capability to read data from a surface of a disk at greater linear densities than thin film inductive heads. An MR sensor detects a magnetic field through the change in the resistance of its MR sensing layer (also referred to as an “MR element”) as a function of the strength and direction of the magnetic flux being sensed by the MR layer.
The conventional MR sensor operates on the basis of the anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) effect in which the MR element resistance varies as the square of the cosine of the angle between the magnetization of the MR element and the direction of sense current flow through the MR element. Recorded data can be read from a magnetic medium because the external magnetic field from the recorded magnetic medium (the signal field) causes a change in the direction of magnetization in the MR element, which in turn causes a change in resistance in the MR element and a corresponding change in the sensed current or voltage.
Another type of MR sensor is the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor manifesting the GMR effect. In GMR sensors, the resistance of the MR sensing layer varies as a function of the spin-dependent transmission of the conduction electrons between magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic layer (spacer) and the accompanying spin-dependent scattering which takes place at the interface of the magnetic and non-magnetic layers and within the magnetic layers.
GMR sensors using two layers of ferromagnetic material (e.g. nickel-iron, cobalt-iron, or nickel-iron-cobalt) separated by a layer of nonmagnetic material (e.g. copper) are generally referred to as spin valve (SV) sensors manifesting the SV effect. In an SV sensor, one of the ferromagnetic layers, referred to as the pinned layer, has its magnetization typically pinned by exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) pinning layer (e.g., nickel-oxide, iron-manganese, or platinum-manganese). The pinning field generated by the AFM pinning layer should be greater than demagnetizing fields to ensure that the magnetization direction of the pinned layer remains fixed during application of external fields (e.g. fields from bits recorded on the disk). The magnetization of the other ferromagnetic layer, referred to as the free layer, however, is not fixed and is free to rotate in response to the field from the information recorded on the magnetic medium (the signal field).
The pinned layer may be part of an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer structure which includes an antiparallel coupling (APC) layer formed between first and second AP pinned layers. The first AP pinned layer, for example, may be the layer that is exchange coupled to and pinned by the AFM pinning layer. By strong antiparallel coupling between the first and second AP pinned layers, the magnetic moment of the second AP pinned layer is made antiparallel to the magnetic moment of the first AP pinned layer. In a self-pinned spin valve sensor, however, the first AP pinned layer is not pinned by the AFM layer but is rather “self-pinned”. A spin valve sensor of this type relies on magnetostriction of the AP self-pinned layer structure as well as the air bearing surface (ABS) stress for a self-pinning effect. Conventionally, cobalt-iron material is used for both the first and the second AP pinned layers. An AFM pinning layer, which is typically as thick as 150 Angstroms, is no longer necessary for pinning so that a relatively thin sensor can be advantageously fabricated.
There are several properties of a spin valve sensor which, if improved, will improve the performance of the magnetic head and increase the data storage capacity of a disk drive. It is generally desirable to increase the magnetoresistive coefficient Δr/R of any spin valve sensor without having to substantially increase its thickness. An increase in this spin valve effect (i.e. Δr/R) equates to higher bit density (bits/square-inch of the rotating magnetic disk) read by the read head.
A spin valve sensor utilizing a self-pinned structure achieves higher bit densities with its thinner profile and increased sensitivity. However, attempts have been made to increase the magnetostriction of the AP self-pinned layer structure to improve its self-pinning effect. These attempts involve either changing the pinned layer materials or changing the seedlayer materials beneath the structure. By proportionally increasing the iron content in cobalt-iron pinned layers, for example, the magnetostriction was shown to increase. For example, the magnetostriction increased by about a factor of two (2) using Co60Fe40 materials in the AP pinned layers. However, interdiffusion due to high iron levels rendered these materials unsuitable for application.
As described, efforts continue to improve the properties of spin valve sensors. What are needed are ways in which to increase the magnetostriction of an AP self-pinned layer structure while maintaining an acceptable magnetoresistive coefficient Δr/R.